# Anyone belong to private cigar clubs? Have humidor lockers?



## US2China (Sep 18, 2012)

I just wanted to see how many people on puff belong to private cigar clubs and/or rent private lockers at cigar bars/shops.

What are your opinions about them?


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## exprime8 (May 16, 2011)

why would i pay when i have my own humidor...


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## capttrips (Jun 25, 2012)

I belong to a private club and have my own locker. One reason I rent a locker is so I don't have to cart cigars around or leave them in my car, etc. All my cigars are in tupperdors with Boveda packs. The reason is to avoid any changes in rH and avoid possibly getting critters from someone else's box.


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## php007 (Sep 25, 2007)

I have a lcoker at one of my local B&M, mainly for my liquor and a about a 100+ stick for convience. They are really cool about having liquor, beer and wine there.


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## djsmiles (Aug 4, 2012)

No private clubs any where near me. At least, that I know of.


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## US2China (Sep 18, 2012)

djsmiles said:


> No private clubs any where near me. At least, that I know of.


Yeah, very private clubs! No one knows about them!


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## jphank (Apr 29, 2012)

I have a humidor, wineador, tupperdor... but I keep sticks at the club chilling in a small tupperdor along with my own glencairn scotch tasting glasses, a bottle of scotch, some Frengelico and lemon vodka (for chocolate cake shots!), and my own cutters and a lighter. 

This saves me the hassle of remembering to bring mine from home -- and mostly I like the personal alcohol storage!


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## djsmiles (Aug 4, 2012)

US2China said:


> Yeah, very private clubs! No one knows about them!


I'm always picked last. 

:smoke:


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## Quine (Nov 9, 2011)

I'm not a member anywhere and I've only seen one local B&M with rentable lockers... But I can understand at least one reason for them, insurance and risk-management. I have 3 humidors, a 48qt cooler, and a couple of tuperdores in my apartment, somewhere between $3k-$4k worth of cigars. What if there's a fire? Or a break in? Even if my homeowners insurance would cover the cost of the sticks (an iffy question since even if I could prove I bought them [which I can], how could I prove I hadn't smoked them?) they would still be a big pain to replace. It might be worth-while (if it was convenient) to have a locker somewhere to leave roughly half of the most valuable part of the collection.


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## kumanchu (Mar 16, 2011)

i like supporting local b&m shops; but that's not what i see as the main reason to get a locker.

these "clubs" offer personal interaction with other local smokers. i like to watch football / baseball / random events while smoking a cigar. the locker / club offers me an way to do so with like minded people. the best part of a good club is the people that it brings together, and the social events that you gain access to (bbq's, poker nights, cigar rep parties, etc.)


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## john37 (Aug 22, 2012)

I'm not a member but that's because I'm always smoking at my place w my buddies, but i see the benefits if you want to go out somewhere away from home to smoke. Wouldn't want to lug cigars around


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## chris1360 (Mar 15, 2012)

Not a member or have a locker for one reason = Cant afford it right now.

I am a regular at a B&M that has lockers and such. I buy and take home everything. They have lighters and cutters to use there for free, so I don't need anywhere to store them. I just show up, buy a cigar, and enjoy the smoke. Then go home with the rest of my goodies.


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## smoking ash (Aug 22, 2010)

No membership or locker here but we have two places that do the locker thing around here. It's a 45 minute drive one way to either place for me so it's just not for me. However if I was close or if I went there on a regular basis to smoke on my way home from work or something I might entertain the idea of keeping some sticks there.


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## GoJohnnyGo (Nov 19, 2011)

I wish this was an option for me but I don't have any clubs around. Only Club Backporch.


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## Fuzzy (Jun 19, 2011)

At one time, I was a member of a local club. I did get picked on and laughed at when I opened my locker and pulled out my tupperdor. Seems a lot of cigar smokers at that club had never seen or heard of this type of storage.

Once one of my properly stored was smoked, not a lot of folks laughed anymore. This did lead to some complaints with the proper maintenance at the B&M. Though I never bad mouthed the B&M or the storage methods they used, I was asked if I would smoke somewhere else and my membership was not renewed.

I now infrequently visit the local Smoke Inn and do not wish to have a locker there.


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## capttrips (Jun 25, 2012)

Fuzzy said:


> At one time, I was a member of a local club. I did get picked on and laughed at when I opened my locker and pulled out my tupperdor. Seems a lot of cigar smokers at that club had never seen or heard of this type of storage.
> 
> Once one of my properly stored was smoked, not a lot of folks laughed anymore. This did lead to some complaints with the proper maintenance at the B&M. Though I never bad mouthed the B&M or the storage methods they used, I was asked if I would smoke somewhere else and my membership was not renewed.
> 
> I now infrequently visit the local Smoke Inn and do not wish to have a locker there.


The ignorance of some cigar smokers is mindboggling. There are 3-4 (that I know of) very serious cigar smokers at my lounge. We all get the same funny looks when we pull out our tupperdores and ziplocks. I've explained more than once that the humidity and temp in the lockers can vary widely depending on where your locker is. When their shit shrivels up and dies or gets mold, or beetles those of us protected will be laughing our asses off.ound:


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## Draepheus (Jun 22, 2012)

If a club organized relatively frequent hang outs or events that I would want to take a part in, and I could afford, it then I would get a club membership but they can really vary. Being from every 250 a month to 1200 a year to just 250 for a year. And so many B&M's exist around here.

Some off the type of my head would be the La Casa branch around Michigan.


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## The_Chosen_One (Aug 18, 2012)

GoJohnnyGo said:


> Club Backporch.


I'm a member there too, not very well lit at night and needs some cushier chairs but not the worst place to smoke.


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## Fuzzy (Jun 19, 2011)

GoJohnnyGo said:


> Club Backporch.


I wonder if that is an affiliated club to where I will be pulling into soon. Klub Kozy Kampers.


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## US2China (Sep 18, 2012)

I am a back porch smoker also, I have just been considering clubs.


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## Bad Andy (Jul 16, 2011)

I am a member at my local lounge. They have lockers available, but I don't rent a locker (just don't see it worth the cost, although you can split with other members). I keep a herf-a-dor in my car glove box and every few days go through and add or change sticks from my home storage. 

What I really like about the membership lounge is they have a full bar, (one of the best scotch selections of any bar in Southern California). Not many places around here where you can smoke AND drink indoors. They have many TV's to watch sports, and every other week have events, (either booze or cigars, or both). Most members have been there a long time, and you get to know everyone. Another plus for me is it is at the 1/2 way home point on my commute. When traffic gets bad (It is Southern California) I can stop in for a smoke and let it clear before heading home. The only downside is their prices are a little higher than most, but I don't mind paying a little more for the convenience.


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## zephead61 (Apr 18, 2012)

Living in Chicago is definitely a big reason why I belong to a club. But I have also made some good friends there and you can always hook up with someone who can do side jobs, like minor carpentry, electricians, plumbers, etc. We can BYOB, watch PPV, plays cards, and such. It's a good fit for me and it gets me out of the house!


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## jphank (Apr 29, 2012)

I'll come try your club if you'll come try mine sometime ;-)



Bad Andy said:


> I am a member at my local lounge. They have lockers available, but I don't rent a locker (just don't see it worth the cost, although you can split with other members). I keep a herf-a-dor in my car glove box and every few days go through and add or change sticks from my home storage.
> 
> What I really like about the membership lounge is they have a full bar, (one of the best scotch selections of any bar in Southern California). Not many places around here where you can smoke AND drink indoors. They have many TV's to watch sports, and every other week have events, (either booze or cigars, or both). Most members have been there a long time, and you get to know everyone. Another plus for me is it is at the 1/2 way home point on my commute. When traffic gets bad (It is Southern California) I can stop in for a smoke and let it clear before heading home. The only downside is their prices are a little higher than most, but I don't mind paying a little more for the convenience.


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## jswaykos (Oct 26, 2010)

I've seen clubs in some parts of the country that I thought were DEFINITELY worth joining (The Cigar Shop in Biloxi, MS, comes to mind) for various reasons... in store discounts, 24hr private lounge access, etc. Others, like a few places out here that have them, just don't seem worth the money since they're outdoor lounges in high traffic tourist areas. Good for the shop, of course, but I don't feel like paying a premium to fight traffic and struggle to find parking to smoke my cigars.

So my opinion is that it varies greatly with what you get for your membership costs. Like most things of this nature, you probably won't ever save money (discounts, etc) this way, but you pay for convenience, status, etc. Not that that is necessarily bad, just is what it is. Golf and private country clubs are the same way. 

All that said, if my favorite shop had some sort of membership and I thought it provided some sort of value then yes, I'd join.


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## David_ESM (May 11, 2011)

If there was one in town that let me smoke inside I would highly consider it. Highly. But there isn't. So no.


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## socalocmatt (Dec 22, 2010)

As of recent I have a locker. Keep about 20 sticks there in a tupperdor. Gotta stock it up with some drinks and glasses next week. I was debating setting up a 1 liter mini oak barrel for shizers and giggles. We'll see.


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## Bad Andy (Jul 16, 2011)

jphank said:


> I'll come try your club if you'll come try mine sometime ;-)


Hi Jessica,

Where is your club? I'm always looking for new places... I hang out at 888 in Fullerton, CA.


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## jphank (Apr 29, 2012)

Bad Andy said:


> Hi Jessica,
> 
> Where is your club? I'm always looking for new places... I hang out at 888 in Fullerton, CA.


All the way up in Apple Valley off the I-15. Havana Cigar Club serves beer and wine, but the liquor license will come later. Still, I have a few bottles of single malt in my locker!


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## Dark Rose (Jul 13, 2012)

The_Chosen_One said:


> I'm a member there too, not very well lit at night and needs some cushier chairs but not the worst place to smoke.


Mine has a yellow CFL bulb overhead, and some comfy injection molded adirondack style chairs... lol.


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## meatcake (Mar 3, 2012)

The b&m I frequent doesn't have lockers/club or I would probably join it. The other ones that do in the area are either too noisy, to expensive or too many D-Bag young guys puffing on Acids and talking loud on their cell phones frequent them so it makes me not want to be there. I tend to like the more sedate crowd that smokes and chills, or plays cards. 
Most of them cost over $150 for the year and all you really get is a place to keep your stash and 10% off your purchases. Seems hardly worth it. 
The b&m I frequent does discount for every $100 you spend anyway which to me is like a club so im happy with that. Plus they have a nice lounge with practically free booze. no liquor license so they work on tips. Throw a few bucks in the tip jar, get yourself a drink, its pretty cool. Plus you can bring your own stuff in.


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## French1 (May 27, 2012)

Another member of club Back-porch... Nothing (I've found) around here that lets you smoke indoors. On a recent trip to Québec City I found a nice place that lets you smoke indoors... Not sure I'd want one close enough to frequent... Would cost me a fortune! Lol


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